Town officials probed for forging document after bridge collapse

Two officials of a China town are being investigated by authorities for allegedly forging a document demanding the suspension of the building of a bridge that collapsed Saturday and killed 11 people.

Deng Guoyi, head of Shenzhen township of Maoming city, and Tang Youqing, from the township's economic development office, forged the document that was never issued to the Liangping village, where the stone bridge were being built, the press office of Maoming city, Guangdong Province in south China, said Thursday.

The township government showed to media the fake document after the accident, which also injured 16 others.

The alleged fake document showed that the township government had already been aware of the safety production problem of the bridge and had asked the construction work to stop.

Chen Jianbo, Party secretary of the township, was suspended of his position.

A village official, the contractor and designer of the bridge were earlier detained by police.